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Winter…again.

So here we are. Our Christmas trees are still sitting out, laughing at you packed away. The new year is here, and so are the winter doldrums. This will be my first full winter in Wisconsin, and if today is any indication (snow! breath-stealing-wind! open weeping due to cold!) it is going to be a long one. It’s time to make a list of things to be excited about in 2015 so I don’t drown in my wintry sorrows!

1) Reading!

Excusing the glaring fact I am a bit of a dweeb, I’m really excited about the books I racked up over the holidays! Last year, I was completely enamored with Jill Lepore’s Book of Ages: The Life and Times of Jane Franklin, so I was thrilled to see she has another book, The Secret History of Wonder Woman, on the shelves. Another book that has me excited is The Who, the What, and the When: 65 Artists Illustrate the Secret Sidekicks of History. The books examines unknown figures that shaped major historical figures. To name a few: George Washington’s dentist, and Carlo, Emily Dickinson’s dog. More books for your shelf: Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood, Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph by Jan Swafford.

2) Exercise!

(Don’t worry. I hate myself just for typing it.) The past year I got a desk job, and while it treats me pretty well, it doesn’t lend itself to activity. I got some extra junk in my trunk, folks. As the name of this blog suggests, I live my life by the words of the great Mary Poppins as often as I can. In this instance: “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and SNAP! The job’s a game.” Ten points to Six to Start, the company responsible for my new favorite apps: Zombies, Run!, The Walk, and Superhero, for realizing that exercise doesn’t have to be horrible and turning it into a game. Superhero, the most I-am-stuck-in-my-apartment-because-once-again-Wisconsin-weather-is-throwing-a-temper-tantrum of the three, structures workouts around a narrative that utilizes your phones camera. In the story, you are wearing an Iron-man-esque suit that is driven by workouts you do. Think Dance Dance Revolution. Except fighting aliens. Cool? Cool.

3) Food!

Always and forever! So did you guys know, if you eat better food…you feel better? Yes! It’s true! I couldn’t believe it either! So this year I want to try more with making/pickling/experimenting with food, and LESS Flaming Hot Cheetos with a side of pure aspartame. I’ve always been a pickle fan, and I KNOW my neighbors are a fan of the pickled-beet smell my apartment gives off when I am on a pickle-kick(le), but I want to try more! Kimchi! Half-sours! The world is my metaphorically-pickled oyster!

4) Winter Accessories!

My winter coat is basically a sleeping bag. It’s not cute, but it keeps me warm. The fun part of winter clothes are the accessories. A blanket scarf, a cool hat, and some cool gloves, and you may still feel like that blueberry girl from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but you will look like that blueberry girl from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with pizzazz!

So while there are lots of surprises waiting for me this year, goal no. 1? Get to March, guys. Get to March.